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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · lean · snap · pass · cue · ruler · pound · scale

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. kid — child
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. scale — in music
  5. kid — to tease
  6. pound — a weight
  7. lean — thin
  8. snap — to click
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cue — a signal
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. scale — size or range
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. cue — a hint
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pass — a permit
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pound — to hit hard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com